Swell-egant, elegant party brought by Joe Stilgoe and Liza Pulman to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

Jazz pianist and singer-songwriter Joe Stilgoe and vocalist and comedienne Liza Pulman’s A Couple of Swells is the opposite – smooth, sophisticated, good-humoured cabaret. If accompanied by a whisky sour and a bowl of olives, then it’s perfect.

Stilgoe is a solo performer and bandleader of renown and Pulman is one third of cabaret spercialists Fascinating Aida.

They brought the show for one night to the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, with a promise to return which will, hopefully, be kept with knobs on.

The two hours of songs were cool and calculated to have the audience relaxed and in raptures as number after number from the Great American Songbook was perfectly performed.

From the opening number, the classic Irving Berlin’s Stepping Out, the duo set out its stall – there would be no lapses into modern pop or rock to entice in a ‘younger set’.

They dueted on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s People Will Say I’m in Love from Oklahoma! with hints of If I Loved You from the pair’s Carousel. It was, indeed, lovely.

Pulman’s solo I Had Myself a True Love was a nod to her solo Barbra Streisand-inspired show.

Tender was the night as The Folks Who Lived on the Hill – a gem by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein – and Their Hearts Were Full of Spring – Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Fain song – were offered up.

There was hardly a dry eye in the house as these anthems to the lasting love of two people aging in years hushed an audience held in thrall to Stilgoe and Pulman’s expertise.

They also performed Stilgoe’s penned Harmony and That was Then, perfectly fitted to the style of the evening.

There was comedy courtesy of sharp observation and Stilgoe’s rendition of Danny Kaye’s the King’s New Clothes.

Stilgoe also awed and entertained with an improvised set – delivering a fantastic medley of chopsticks, Last of the Summer Wine, Nessum Dorma and Cabaret.

Someone shouted out Sweet Child O’ Mine and Stilgoe did not skip a beat as he included the Guns and Roses thrash-and-burn hit.

The duo did not include A Couple of Swells – the Fred Astaire and Judy Garland number from Easter Parade – may be next time.

Or perhaps, the title was a nod to High Society and Cole Porter’s What a Swell Party (Did You,Evah!) cos it certainly was.

Sue Wilkinson